The Way it is

Somewhere in Africa: President to Governor: " Too many are unemployed we need to create jobs!" Feedback from Governor a few days later: " We now employ additional 500 staff members." President: "Where? Education? Environment? Infrastructure?" Governor: " No admin section. It is so simple, we send our good citizens from one door to another, then to another buildings, it keeps them off the road and everybody is busy......"

In my library I discovered a Tunisia holiday guide book printed 1979, it advices that the average monthly income here amounts to 100 Dinar, the equivalent of 500 DM (approx. 260 Euro). Airmail letters to Germany arrive after 3 or 4 days (nowadays at least 10 days, frequently 4 - 6 weeks). There used to be a train service from Kairouan to Tunis once a day, 4 hrs journey. We now have instead a motorway to Tunis and an expressway from Sousse to Kairouan. Thank heavens for that, it drastically reduced that dangerous overtaking on the road to and from Kairouan. The cement strip in the middle of the 4 lanes shaped and works like a rather long stretched flower pot, some wild flowers have already been provided by mother nature, pretty in spring. Printed on the back of the mini bus ticket: "Aldi" (Supermarket chain in Germany), on the back of a receipt from an animal goods shop: "Wir lieben Lebensmittel" (we love food), interesting recycling, isn't it. By the way, our Tunisian cats do understand German. Scientists say cats are approx. as intelligent as two year old kids. Sounds   right. Now we understand why we often feel that we with our big fur angel community are living in a Kindergarten. Cats love fish. From time to time I buy fresh Sardines, boil them, remove the fishbones, heads and tails and mix this with bred chunks. Our little darlings just know what I am doing behind closed kitchen doors, they have a meeting in front of the door and shout I should hurry up! Folks in a crowd act different from single persons, the same seems to apply to cats. Not always easy first thing in the morning, after they greet me with purring (their way of saying happy to see you) every little treasure wants to be fed first. But of course all remain individuals, which makes them so adorable. Needless to say only when all cats have had their breakfast and all visitors to my "cats' table have been served, will we sit down and enjoy our coffee and breakfast.